This was such a cute collection of stories.

1. They are some of my favourite romance authors, so I was thrilled to read this.
2. They were light and enjoyable reads. There was one that lacked depth for me, and I struggled to connect with it. But the rest were just so much fun.

These are exactly what I’m looking for as a good Valentine’s Day read.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed some stories (Christina Lauren's and Abby Jimenez") more than others, but overall a good read. Exposed me to a few authors I haven't read before. Overall a feel-good collection of stories worth reading.

I loved these short stories! This is exactly what I needed to get out of my fiction book slump.

I was immediately hooked by the first couple of pages of the first story, The Exception to the Rule. That hasn't happened in a long time!

Not surprisingly, my favorite story in the collection was Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez. Her writing just never disappoints. Plus it was a fun little surprise to get another storyline from her this year, in addition to the much anticipated Just for the Summer. Can't wait!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for giving me a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
6 love stories by 6 different authors all happening around valentines day.
Overall all of the stories were really sweet, Christina Lauren and Abby Jimenez were by far my favorite stories to read!
Upside: it’s a quick read all related to love without much drama.
Downside: there’s not much drama, so it’s easy to guess how each story ends.
Overall 4 stars

The Improbable Meet-Cute collection is a collection of short romance stories from Christina Lauren, Abby Jimenez, Sally Thorne, Jasmine Guillory, Ashley Poston and Sariah Wilson. The stories are not related other than they all relate to somewhat improbable/random meets between the main characters around Valentines' Day. I generally do not read short stories, but I enjoyed reading these. Each was engaging, funny and sometimes emotional. 10 stars for Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez. I could have easily read an entire book centered around Holly and John!

Thank you NetGalley, Amazon and Christina Lauren, Abby Jimenez, Sally Thorne, Jasmine Guillory, Ashley Poston and Sariah Wilson for the ARC of these short stories!

Never have I loved reading an anthology series as I have until now. This collection has some of my all time favorite authors and getting to read all their short love stories in one is already a highlight of my 2024 reading experience. I honestly cannot tell you which was my favorite but I can definitely say that Christina Lauren's was probably one of the cutest of them all but I'm also a HUGE Abby Jimenez, Ashley Poston, and Sally Thorne fan and their stories were just so perfect. This was my first time being introduced to Guillory and Wilson's writing but after this, I will definitely be looking out for their books!

🩷
A collection of Valentine’s Day short stories by some amazing romance authors? Yes, Please! This was a feel good experience and I loved how there was little Easter eggs tucked away to link them together a little bit 🥰

The Exception to the Rule- Christina Lauren
*An email sent to the wrong person leads to years long penpal situationship.*
This one was my fav, hands down. I have a weird love for text messages, letters, or emails going back and forth in a book. I really love it and this book had that and more. I love love loved this short story. I love how their relationship was so simple and sweet. I loved how Callum handled it when he knew it was her. And how Terra had a feeling anyways. Ugh I honestly cried a little because it was really stinkin cute. I genuinely loved this! Without question 😉

Worst Wingman Ever- Abby Jimenez
4.5 stars
*An anonymous note left on the car for the wrong girl while she is caring for her dying grandmother.*
This short story was so sweet. This also had a little anonymous correspondence going on and I’m here for it. This was a perfect example of ‘timing is everything’. They met but they weren’t ready… until they were. I loved it. Very cute, emotional, and heartfelt!

Rosie and the Dreamboat- Sally Thorne
*Spa day gone wrong when she becomes trapped in a new device the spa offers so firefighters have to save her.*
This was cute but it was a little weird for me. I think it was a fun unique way to get two people to meet and have banter without seeing each other. But I think it’s a little strange that a lawyer would simply abandon their own sister in a traumatic experience. I also didn’t enjoy the FMC half the time. She was really sweet but the way she talked about herself was not great. I get it but I didn’t like it. This was overall still a pretty cute short story though.

Drop, Cover and Hold On- Jasmine Guillory
*Grumpy Sunshine get caught in an earthquake at a bakery.*
Who knew an earthquake could lead to a hot romance? I actually liked this one. It was definitely a miscommunication trope going on but I didn’t hate it. Pretty cute and fun!

With Any Luck- Ashley Poston
*Hangover movie ish. Girl bff of the groom and guy bff of the bride are searching for the missing groom while girl tries to remember her hazy hungover memories from the previous day. She also believe she’s Good Luck Chuck.*
So I thought this was going to be a friends to lovers for a minute, I’m honestly so glad it wasn’t! I thought this was actually a pretty cute story. A superstitious girl with the last name Love meets a guy with a last name Luck. Tah dah! This was just the only one so far that didn’t feel quite complete for me. Like I get it and I know these are short stories but this one just ended in an odd spot for me. Still fun though.

Royal Valentine-Sariah Wilson
*Princess in Disguise taking a weekend to be anonymous and meets a handsome photographer with a secret of his own.*
Ilaria was sweet. I liked her. Callum was also pretty sweet too. The whole first part was great. This one just felt a little rushed near the end. I still enjoyed it though. Kind of Taylor and Travis vibes in the sense that she needed someone like him to be ok in the spotlight.

Overall, this collection was amazing. I throughly enjoyed it. They were all different but still cohesive enough that it felt right that they were a collection. All A+ authors so I’m happy I had the opportunity to read this!
Thank you to Christina Lauren, Abby Jimenez, Sally Thorne, Jasmine Guillory, Ashley Poston, and Sariah Wilson. Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to read this eARC.

The following authors had books within this collection and they were all wonderful.
Christina Lauren - I adored this story. 5* stars.
Abby Jimenez - I loved this story. 5* stars.
•Sally Thorne - This was so very sweet and lovely. 5* stars.
•Jasmine Guillory- This was a great story. 4* stars.
•Sariah Wilson- This was a sweet story. 4.5 stars.
•Ashley Poston- This was a great story. 4* stars.

Loved this super fun collection of quick, easy reads that leave you feeling warm and fuzzy! In a world where some romances seem so similar to each other, I adored the "improbable" nature of each of these meet cutes.

Oh wow.. can you get much better than these authors! No you really can’t. I started reading this and could not put it down even though it was six different novellas from six different authors. And they are just everything!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

If you're both a romance fan and a Prime or KU member, you're in for a treat later this month. "The Improbable Meet-Cute Collection" features six short stories by romance powerhouses, all centered around the idea of an unlikely first meeting and how it develops into something real, however unlikely that may seem at the start. Couples who write to each other only once a year because of an email snafu when they were teens; a hospice nurse who receives a Valentine meant for someone else; a woman stuck in an unfortunate predicament at a spa; a couple stuck in a bakery after an earthquake; a cursed "best maid" desperately searching for a lost groom with the bride's "man of honour"; and a royal in disguise - each story makes a slight callback to at least one of the others and brings the full world to life.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the three stand-outs in this collection are by Christina Lauren, Abby Jimenez, and Ashley Poston. Even in this short format, their characteristic spark shines through. The other three stories were about three stars each for me, but were still enjoyable enough to be worth grabbing along with the other three.

"The Improbable Meet-Cute Collection" will be available exclusively on Amazon as of January 23, 2024 - all six stories will be free to KU and Prime members in both Kindle and audio formats, or for $1.99 each (USD, not sure about international pricing) for non-members. For non-members, they're available for pre-order now.

Clever, witty, humorous, intriguing and Fun- this short story collection is one to Not miss. I normally avoid these types of things as I find I always want *more* of a story, but this collection of stories had excellent tidy stories with authors that were all good at catching and keeping your attention. I wanted it for the Abby Jiminez story, but I found I enjoyed all of them, and found some new authors I will now be looking to read!

Individual Synopses and Reviews:

💕The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren
My rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My Review: With most of the story told in email form, this one was cute and sweet. There was plenty of humor, especially in the way they finally met! Super fun.

💕Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My Review: even this shortened form, Abby Jimenez’s writing genius shines. Her characters are so well developed. They really came to life. And their story is told with rich detail and plenty of humor. I laughed and I cried. It takes real talent to pack that much emotion into so few words.

💕Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
My Review: Whenever I see those flotation tanks advertised, I imagine just this scenario! This one plays out the clumsy girl, hot mess trope to a T. I did feel like the MMC needed to be a little more developed though, which is hard to do in a novella.

💕Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
My Review: This was grumpy/sunshine, which is one of my favorite tropes. But this one felt like it needed to be longer and more fleshed out. Both characters needed more backstory to explain their motivation. It was the spiciest of the collection, which I appreciated!

💕With Any Luck by Ashley Poston
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
My Review: I really enjoyed the dual timeline in this one. It helped drive the story and give it depth. The characters fell a bit flat for me, but again, it’s hard to fully round out characters in a novella.

💕Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My Review: This secret identity romance had great characters and chemistry. I thought the development of the relationship was really enjoyable to watch. And it had one of the best first kiss descriptions I’ve read in a long time.

📖 Overall Review: This was a fun, mostly light-hearted collection of romance novellas perfect to binge read and get into the Valentines Day mood.

This book is literally full of love. These authors put their hearts into these short stories. I laughed and then cried and then I wanted more. I need some of these characters to have big girl books instead of just a short story! Worst wingman ever by Abby Jimenez was just *chef's kiss* perfect. She always brings humor and heart into her writing and always knows how to break YOUR heart before she makes it all better again. Great read just in time for valentines day!

Cute collection of romance novellas from some of the best contemporary romance authors! I mean - do you really need do know more than this list of all stars: Christina Lauren, Abby Jiminez, Sally Thorne, Jasmine Guillory, Ashley Poston and Sariah Wilson!

Each tells a story of a couple unexpectedly meeting on Valentine’s Day. Some stories worked more for me than others but overall this was just the lighthearted collection I was looking for. And if you’re already a fan of these authors - you’ll find what you’re expecting. Even in shorter stories Abby Jiminez managed to make me both laugh and cry and Jasmine Guillory had me hungry and wanting to seek out the nearest bakery. It was also fun to see little references to things in the other stories. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this free collection to review!

What a wonderful collection of lovely, cute, charming and heartwarming Valentine's Day short stories by authors I already love and fell in love right now. 🥰❤️ It was so nice to see that the stories are even kinda connected one way or another too. Hint: easter eggs. 😉

1. The Exception by the Rule by Christina: Lauren:

She was 14 when he accidentally emailed her instead of his teacher. This was the beginning of a special email correspondence... 10 years later they finally meet each other. What a surprise that they kinda know each other in real life already...

~ A wonderful love story! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars!

2. Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez:

Awwww! OMG! I'M CRYING NOW BC IT WAS SOOOO GOOD! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I didn't even know that a short story could be THIS INTENSE AND ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL! 😭🥰

The Worst Wingman Ever - John - has to leave a Valentine's Day note on a white Honda for his brother. But this white Honda belongs to Holly. She's a hospice nurse and takes care of her Grandma. Talking via notes on the car makes both lives better... and when they meet in person, they don't even know that they already talked to each other...

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
ALL THE STARS IN THE WORLD!

3. Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne:

The Spa day with her sister turns into a rescue session from flotation tank for Rosie... Actually they wanted to celebrate her sister's promotion together. But Rosie is caught in this tank and only the sexy voice and charming laughter of the firefighter Leo helps her to not get claustrophobic. Leo dies everything to get her out and while Rosie has to wait inside, she can't deny the attraction to this stranger.

~ Quite charming and funny love story!
🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars!

4. Drop, Cover and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory:

Daisy loves Cook's Bakeshop and the pastries... but the owner is such a grumpy guy. Why? Did she do something wrong? She's sure that he hates her... but is it really true?

~ 🌟🌟🌟 stars love story!

5. With Any Luck by Ashley Poston:

Audrey and Theo are on the mission. First a bachelor / bachelorette party for Rhett and Carmilla one day before Valentine's Day... but then? The next morning Audrey can't remember everything and the groom is gone. Gone for good?
Both try to find Rhett, but they find something different. 😉

~ 🌟🌟🌟🌟 charming stars!

6. Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson:

Princess Ilaria of Monterra has the perfect plan. Switch places with her PR assistant Anne for two days to be free. To get know more about this intriguing photographer she saw from her window... but with a bad headache she took the wrong pills, passed out on the Spanish Steps and this lead her to this handsome guy who helped her. Experiencing the city with Callum is definitely what she wished for, but little did she know that not only she has some secrets.

~ Awwwww! Absolutely loved it! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars!


Thanks a lot to the authors and Amazon Original Stories for this ARC via NetGalley (Read Now category).
This is my honest review in my own words.

A perfect Valentine's Day read that would leave you longing for love and a perfect meet cute story for yourself! This is a wonderful, swoony, funny, and amazing read wrapped into a collection of amazing short stories written by equally amazing authors! I loved that this collection is concisely written and connected despite it being written by different authors. This is a collection of swoony and sweet meet cute stories that is also emotional and heartwarming. Some stories are so good that they left me wanting more! Each story has their own uniqueness to them and all the plots are genuinely interesting and engaging! Would highly recommend reading or listening to this collection days before or during Valentine's Day. These stories are such a delight! I had so much fun!

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• What rooted from an accidental email bloomed into a friendship that stood strong over the years. I didn't expect to tear up but I enjoyed this one so much! This was one of my favorites! I loved how the story went and the characters are engaging and funny. I couldn't get enough! Not gonna lie, I want more!!! I really wished this was a full blown novel. I was very entertained! Christina Lauren managed to write a cute, funny, and wholesome story that can also tug at the heartstrings!

Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Wow Another tear jerker?! Also, the ability of this short story to evoke laughter and tears out of me speaks so much of the author's ability to write great stories. I laughed so much at some scenes and it's amazing how Abby incorporated something heartwarming and emotional in this meet cute story. I dived right into this story expecting a fluffy, swoony, and cute story but it turned out to be so much more. I didn't know I'd be finishing this story with a renewed outlook in life. I loved it! What a hilarious, emotional, and inspiring story!

Rosie and The Dreamboat by Sally Thorne ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• This was such a cute read! The banters between the characters are so funny and witty. At some point I felt like the pacing was slow but the dialogue between the fmc and mmc kept me interested. I loved the lightheartedness of this one. They have so much chemistry that I can't help but root for them!

Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory ⭐️⭐️⭐️
• This was a sweet read! The way the foods were described made me crave them myself! Although I did think that the events happened so fast and I feel like there is a lack of build up with the relationship between the characters that's why it felt rushed. I also think a little more backstory event would have gave the story some depth that would have helped the readers connect more to the characters. I do love me some cute and swoony enemies to lovers story and this one delivered that!

With Any Luck by Ashley Poston ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• I think the plot is interesting! I was already hooked at the beginning and it left me more eager to find out what will happen next. The pacing of the story is just right with the timeline alternating from the past to the present. I think the story felt complete on its own as a short story with the way it ended, I think this could make a good full novel.

Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• I loved this meet cute story with a touch of royalty! The story felt whole and the characters are well developed! I can't help but swoon at some parts and be hooked by the story as well as which direction this story would go. It kept me interested all throughout and the ending is satisfying. I enjoyed this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy in exchange of an honest review!

The Improbable Meet-Cute is a super cute, super sweet Valentine’s Day themed anthology. I was super excited to read this when I saw the line up!

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren: 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the end of this one but I had trouble staying engaged with just the emails to go on!

Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez: 5 stars!! ABBY JIMENEZ NEVER MISSES. I will start every review of one of her books that way. Somehow she had me fully in this story even with how short it was. I cried, laughed and squealed just as much as if it were a full length book. Perfection!

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne 4.5 stars. I struggled to get into this one at first but the second Leo was introduced I was hooked. He is ADORABLE and so charming. I loved the banter in this one.

Drop Cover and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory 4.5 stars. Another one that started slightly slow but I loved the characters, the romance really did feel fully fleshed out even though it’s a short story. And all of those pastries sounded freaking delicious, I need them now please!

With Any Luck by Ashley Poston 4 stars. This one was fun! And definitely different than I expected it to be. I thought it had a fun plot twist.

Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson: 3 stars. For some reason I just could not get into this one. I want to revisit another time because truly I can’t pin point why I didn’t love it, I just wasn’t vibing with the writing style.

Overall, this is the perfect Valentine’s Day read and you definitely need to check it out!

This collection of stories is just like a variety box of Valentine’s Day chocolates; you gobble them all up because they’re so delicious… and then you have to cope with the regret that you’ll never be able to enjoy them for the first time ever again.

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren— 4/5 ⭐️
I am a sucker for a "You’ve Got Mail" dynamic (and in the form of emails?? Delicious.) Put it in an academic setting??? *“Nyom nyom nyom”* (sorry, that’s the sound of me gobbling up the story.)

Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez— 4.5/5 ⭐️
This story touches on the death of loved ones, which hit especially hard, as I ended up reading it the day we buried my grandfather. Not only was it a solid romance, but the protagonist’s relationship with her grandmother would have made me cry if I wasn’t so dehydrated.

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne— 5/5 ⭐️
Honestly the idea of finding your “soulmate” while trapped inside an 85 thousand dollar water sensory deprivation tank is hilarious to me. The banter was silly, albeit extremely self-deprecating, and it was probably my favorite story of the collection.

Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory— 3.5/5 ⭐️
The grumpy/sunshine dynamic here was excellent in theory, but I really feel like the “grump” aspect could have better been described as “misunderstood resting mean face.” But also it had amazing descriptions of baked goods that made me crave a spinach feta croissant.

With Any Luck by Ashley Poston— 3.5/5 ⭐️
Fun concept of “whoever she kisses meets the love of their life the next day,” but I feel like more time is spent watching her grapple with her curse, than there is actually fleshing out her character (beyond her very clearly defined character trait of “superstitious.”) Still, very silly, and would make a great plot for a full-length rom-com movie.

Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson— 3/5 ⭐️
I really don’t know why I didn’t connect with this one, especially since the concept of a princess assuming the identity of a commoner to go sightseeing seemed at the very least intriguing. That last minor twist though….


All in all, this was a fun read!! The order of the stories makes sense tone-wise, and each story made for a quick but enjoyable read, and a great way to kick off my 2024 reading. ☺️

Thank you so much to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for granting me this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This will be available to Amazon Prime readers (for free!!) starting January 23rd.

The Improbable Meet-Cute collection contains 6 short stories and they are just the right length if you're looking to read a cute short story a day! I think the first story by Christina Lauren is my favorite, but they are all good! Just in time for valentine's day!

Thank you for the ARC for my honest review.